Problem understand code behind

[Antoine]

Hi I have a novice question. I am writing some code, and several routines in
..NET. So far very succesfully using several sample to work from, though am I
jumping in by doing this and I really need to understand best methods etc.

However, I want to know as Its something I am having a bit of trouble with -
if I have a control coded in the ASP.NET aspect of the .aspx page, is it
easy to move the MAJORITY of my code to the better concealed classes and .VB
sections for compiling and doscfucator to help conceal?

I have had a bit of a go but it seems to have problems then missing on some
of the important dataset definitions etc and just doesn't really work.
I'm not expecting complete advice, but "yes" I can do it or not would be
very helpful for me to look into.

You are all so kind for looking at my problem and I appreciate your time out
doing this.

Many thanks
Ant

 

[Cor Ligthert]

Antoine,

For me it is hard to understand what you mean, and for me the use of the
language is not that important, so I think it is for others as well.

Questions:
Are you talking about ASPNet applications?
Why you want to obfuscate in that situation do you sell them?
What code do you want to move and to where?

Cor

 

[Antoine]

Antoine,

For me it is hard to understand what you mean, and for me the use of the
language is not that important, so I think it is for others as well.

Questions:
Are you talking about ASPNet applications?
Why you want to obfuscate in that situation do you sell them?
What code do you want to move and to where?

I am sorry Cor. I made it as clear as mud.

Yes, I am talking about an ASP.NET app.
Obfuscate - yes If I can IF I can Sell - which is a maybe.
Code - It is code WITHIN ASPX completely and I want to move it to the
ASPX.VB code behind completely. Do you think its possible?

Given that the aspx contains a control that has a namespace assembly dll
information in ALREADY (a class I did not write, but may have to or find
another to use with such a control) I am wondering how easy it is to port
all the code OUT the ASPX file into the CODEbehind.

Many many thanks again

Tony

 

[Cor Ligthert]

Antoine,

When you use VBNet with the Visual Studio Net IDE (Integrated Development
Environment) than you have with ASPNET for every form at least two things.
A designed form what is when it in the IIS as a ASPX page a kind of
template for the processing.
A compiled DLL from what you call code behind, however just is the build
program code.

When you use ASP or scripting style ASPNET than the programcode is on those
pages as well, however will be everytime compiled when a user ask for that.

The compiled DLL is in intermidiate language code, not really end code. And
therefore it is easier to decompile than classic DLL's. Therefore are for
those new DLL's obfuscators to make that decompiling more difficult. However
it is almost impossible to make decompiling completly impossible. The code
follows forever the logic from Win32 or at last a variant from the 8086
processor operation codes (on let say intel compatible type servers).

I think that it is often easy possible to get an aspx page completly from a
server and with that the code. With a dll that is more difficult, however
when you have the aspx, than you know where is the dll and his name.

So therefore you should forever make a good secure situtation on your IIS
server. Something that is far away from the topic from this newsgroup.

Than moving the code from ASPX to what you call code behind, can be done
sentence by sentence using that IDE. It is not hard to do, however when you
have used only <%do some code %> what is almost ASP, than it is a lot more
work than when you have used true ASPX code where it than can be moved in my
opinion very easy.

I hope this gives some idea's?

Cor

 

[Antoine]

Antoine,

When you use VBNet with the Visual Studio Net IDE (Integrated Development
Environment) than you have with ASPNET for every form at least two things.
A designed form what is when it in the IIS as a ASPX page a kind of
template for the processing.
A compiled DLL from what you call code behind, however just is the build
program code.

When you use ASP or scripting style ASPNET than the programcode is on those
pages as well, however will be everytime compiled when a user ask for that.

The compiled DLL is in intermidiate language code, not really end code. And
therefore it is easier to decompile than classic DLL's. Therefore are for
those new DLL's obfuscators to make that decompiling more difficult. However
it is almost impossible to make decompiling completly impossible. The code
follows forever the logic from Win32 or at last a variant from the 8086
processor operation codes (on let say intel compatible type servers).

I think that it is often easy possible to get an aspx page completly from a
server and with that the code. With a dll that is more difficult, however
when you have the aspx, than you know where is the dll and his name.

So therefore you should forever make a good secure situtation on your IIS
server. Something that is far away from the topic from this newsgroup.

Than moving the code from ASPX to what you call code behind, can be done
sentence by sentence using that IDE. It is not hard to do, however when you
have used only <%do some code %> what is almost ASP, than it is a lot more
work than when you have used true ASPX code where it than can be moved in my
opinion very easy.

I hope this gives some idea's?

Cor

Thanks Cor. I think this helps. It is true and only ASPX at the moment and
works nicely, and would be easily portable.
BUT its too transparent showing all the code rules. So I need to go "code
behind" and dotfuscate as you say.
I may even use a serial code generator on the app - to ensure only
purchasers buy the little program (at not much cost) - but that might just
break things a lot.

I was going to contemplate some kind of runtime checking against such a
serial - using something like encytped output generated from combination of
machine name and software license or something but I might change my mind on
this - too much capacity to break things for such a small application !
I go completely what you say about Reverse engineering - I read about it and
understand that it is the way - code is never completely hideable from
everyone but its the casual viewing code thief that should be disencouraged.
You have to protect your hard work.

Secureness of IIS will not come into play much, its not so much a single
instance website AS an actual distributable application - but running on IIS
instead of VB windows app. It COULD be though.

Thanks so much

Tony

 

[Antoine]

Antoine,

When you use VBNet with the Visual Studio Net IDE (Integrated Development
Environment) than you have with ASPNET for every form at least two things.
A designed form what is when it in the IIS as a ASPX page a kind of
template for the processing.
A compiled DLL from what you call code behind, however just is the build
program code.

When you use ASP or scripting style ASPNET than the programcode is on those
pages as well, however will be everytime compiled when a user ask for that.

The compiled DLL is in intermidiate language code, not really end code. And
therefore it is easier to decompile than classic DLL's. Therefore are for
those new DLL's obfuscators to make that decompiling more difficult. However
it is almost impossible to make decompiling completly impossible. The code
follows forever the logic from Win32 or at last a variant from the 8086
processor operation codes (on let say intel compatible type servers).

I think that it is often easy possible to get an aspx page completly from a
server and with that the code. With a dll that is more difficult, however
when you have the aspx, than you know where is the dll and his name.

So therefore you should forever make a good secure situtation on your IIS
server. Something that is far away from the topic from this newsgroup.

Than moving the code from ASPX to what you call code behind, can be done
sentence by sentence using that IDE. It is not hard to do, however when you
have used only <%do some code %> what is almost ASP, than it is a lot more
work than when you have used true ASPX code where it than can be moved in my
opinion very easy.

I hope this gives some idea's?

Cor

I just want to say thanks for the encouragement. I have pretty much
completed my first vb proj AND its on code behind!!!
There were some frustrating moments (like working how to declare the
elements that were already in the custom control class in the namespace of
the ASPX. But it now works! Im so chuffed !!!!

Cheers - Have a nice weekend all
Tony